Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Pointed my spotting scope at a Warden

Yes, I would discontinue the use of the current set-up to avoid getting shot. If I see someone pointing that set-up at me, and it looks like a gun, I will shoot back.

This is a gun? And you would "shoot back"? My question is, how the heck did this shoot AT you in the first place?

And if you shoot at this... how many birdwatchers have you shot at who have the huge lenses on their cameras?

"Honest judge, it was self defense! He pointed that shiny glass thing at me and I got so scared I wet my pants and HAD to shoot back!"

Are you serious???? Ok so someone points a gun at you that has no firing pin........ and you shoot them in self defence. You would put them in prison wouldnt you. Hear hear campfire members. Calhoun wants you to inspect the gun, make sure its real, and make sure it has the evil bullets in it before you can fire back in self defence. Ok liberal.

Swung the spotting scope over to the object and there was a guy standing in some shoulder high brush looking at me with binoculars.

Like I said before, enjoy your time in prision. Well, that is AFTER school gets out. Letting kids out of school for lunch isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Yo Tzone...


The moral of the story is don't point stuff that looks like a gun (like a spotting scope mounted on a rifle stock) at people, as people will shoot back at you if they perceive they are threatened.

Plenty of rifles out there with Hubble-Esq optics, and it would be way easy to confuse the two.

ALL RISE. The 24 Hour Campfire Kangaroo Court is now in session. The Honorable Judge High Horse Fish Head presiding.

Judge High Horse Fish Head's advice to the the Jury.

"shooting at something you BELIEVE to be a rifle that's pointed at you is NOT self defense. It's attempted murder, or murder if you connect."

Jury's decision: Guilty as charged.

Judge High Horse Fish Head's sentence: "Bailiff, whack his Pee-Pee and then bish slap him"

I don't think the "shoot first, answer questions later" idea is going to work in court.

The voice of reason and common sense, thank you.

The voice of reason and common sense, thank you.

Still trying to figure out how people are going to "shoot back" at somebody with a spotting scope and stock? Is there a 10megawatt laser firing through that scope? Sure as heck ain't no bullets coming your way. What you're really saying is that there are tens of thousands of hunters who will blow you away if you point a rifle in their direction?

No. 100% no. Anybody who has ever hunted public land in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska or any other state knows better than that. Stupid crap happens all the time every year, and the wisdom and restraint of the average hunter is what keeps us all safe.

What if they are pointing a spotting scope at you from a prone position? Can you really tell the difference from hundreds of yards away that it's mounted on a stand versus a rifle? What about a scope mounted on a monopod or sticks - fairly common, and from head on would look VERY similar to a rifle sitting on a monopod.

I've been hunting for 35 years and have had several dozen hunters THAT I KNOW OF scope me. Probably hundreds more that I never knew about. I've had rifles fired in my direction. I've had to take cover. I've had to retreat. I've walked away from hunting parties because one or more people were dangerous enough that I wouldn't hunt near them. I've been peppered with shotgun pellets from a distance multiple times, even by idiots who could see me downrange.

But never, ever, have I been tempted to fire first - much less fire in response to a perceived threat. And I never will unless I know for 100% that somebody is intentionally trying to kill ME - not just firing at me because they think I'm a deer or coyote.

I might end up dead or wounded for my inaction, but I sure as heck ain't going to be responsible for putting some teenager or newborn baby's father into a grave because I'm too paranoid or jack full of myself to take cover and evaluate a situation or to retreat.

No, shooting at something you BELIEVE to be a rifle that's pointed at you is NOT self defense. It's attempted murder, or murder if you connect.

Still trying to figure out how people are going to "shoot back" at somebody with a spotting scope and stock? Is there a 10megawatt laser firing through that scope? Sure as heck ain't no bullets coming your way. What you're really saying is that there are tens of thousands of hunters who will blow you away if you point a rifle in their direction?

No. 100% no. Anybody who has ever hunted public land in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska or any other state knows better than that. Stupid crap happens all the time every year, and the wisdom and restraint of the average hunter is what keeps us all safe.

What if they are pointing a spotting scope at you from a prone position? Can you really tell the difference from hundreds of yards away that it's mounted on a stand versus a rifle? What about a scope mounted on a monopod or sticks - fairly common, and from head on would look VERY similar to a rifle sitting on a monopod.

I've been hunting for 35 years and have had several dozen hunters THAT I KNOW OF scope me. Probably hundreds more that I never knew about. I've had rifles fired in my direction. I've had to take cover. I've had to retreat. I've walked away from hunting parties because one or more people were dangerous enough that I wouldn't hunt near them. I've been peppered with shotgun pellets from a distance multiple times, even by idiots who could see me downrange.

But never, ever, have I been tempted to fire first - much less fire in response to a perceived threat. And I never will unless I know for 100% that somebody is intentionally trying to kill ME - not just firing at me because they think I'm a deer or coyote.

I might end up dead or wounded for my inaction, but I sure as heck ain't going to be responsible for putting some teenager or newborn baby's father into a grave because I'm too paranoid or jack full of myself to take cover and evaluate a situation or to retreat.

Still trying to figure out how people are going to "shoot back" at somebody with a spotting scope and stock? Is there a 10megawatt laser firing through that scope? Sure as heck ain't no bullets coming your way. What you're really saying is that there are tens of thousands of hunters who will blow you away if you point a rifle in their direction?

No. 100% no. Anybody who has ever hunted public land in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska or any other state knows better than that. Stupid crap happens all the time every year, and the wisdom and restraint of the average hunter is what keeps us all safe.

What if they are pointing a spotting scope at you from a prone position? Can you really tell the difference from hundreds of yards away that it's mounted on a stand versus a rifle? What about a scope mounted on a monopod or sticks - fairly common, and from head on would look VERY similar to a rifle sitting on a monopod.

I've been hunting for 35 years and have had several dozen hunters THAT I KNOW OF scope me. Probably hundreds more that I never knew about. I've had rifles fired in my direction. I've had to take cover. I've had to retreat. I've walked away from hunting parties because one or more people were dangerous enough that I wouldn't hunt near them. I've been peppered with shotgun pellets from a distance multiple times, even by idiots who could see me downrange.

But never, ever, have I been tempted to fire first - much less fire in response to a perceived threat. And I never will unless I know for 100% that somebody is intentionally trying to kill ME - not just firing at me because they think I'm a deer or coyote.

I might end up dead or wounded for my inaction, but I sure as heck ain't going to be responsible for putting some teenager or newborn baby's father into a grave because I'm too paranoid or jack full of myself to take cover and evaluate a situation or to retreat.

And he didn't shoot either. I have spent considerable time in an environment where people were actively trying to kill me and I them. I am still not going to fire on a glass flash or seeing somebody scope me. I will try to join up with them and point out my displeasure however, and if it turned out to be a rig like the OP showed would probably admire it.

Go back to the mall and play mall ninja, you do not impress me in the least.